Jewish 9 Day Itinerary

Day 1After arriving in Israel at, Ben Gurion International airport you will be met by your guide and driver. Transfer to your hotel for overnight.

Day 2After breakfast begin your day with a Bread Tour of Jaffa. This will give a fun and different view of this ancient port city. This is great for all ages both due to the tasty sampling and ‘colorful’ scenery. Continue with a walking tour through the World Heritage Site of the White City of Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv was founded in 1909 and developed as a metropolitan city under the British Mandate in Palestine. The White City was constructed from the early 1930s until the 1950s, based on the urban plan by Sir Patrick Geddes, reflecting modern organic planning principles. The buildings were designed by architects who were trained in Europe where they practiced their profession before immigrating. They created an outstanding architectural ensemble of the Modern Movement in a new cultural context. The new town of Tel Aviv is an outstanding example of new town planning and architecture in the early 20th century, adapted to the requirements of a particular cultural and geographic context. Drive to Independence Hall the location where David Ben Gurion declared Israel’s independence in 1948. End the day with the magnificent Palmach Museum where through a modern multi-media presentation; we can watch the history of the Palmach from 1941 to the War of Independence and the establishment of the State of Israel. Follow the lives and experiences of the young men and women who founded Israel’s Defense Forces. Kids will love this fun presentation and the site bridges the generational divide beautifully. Return to your Hotel.

Day 3After breakfast drive to Jerusalem ascend Mt. of Olives for an inspiring view of the walled Old City where you look down on the densely packed old Jerusalem with the Temple Mount in the distance before you. Drive down to the City of David see for yourself one of world most exciting archaeological finds. Emerge at the Davidson Center and view the Virtual Presentation before visiting the Western Wall. Enjoy a 4 Quarter walking Tour of the Old City and end with a Ramparts Walk. Return to your Hotel

Day 4After breakfast begin the day at Ein Gedi. See the waterfalls at this oasis in the desert, which is mentioned several times in the Book of Psalms, the place where King David hid from King Saul. Continue to Massada; 500 meters high above the Dead Sea, the fortress of Massada is set on a giant cliff, 600 m. length, 300m. width and 2000 years old - the greatest castle in history build by King Herods. A cable car takes the visitors up to the cliff, to an unforgettable tour of the palaces, the warehouses and resident areas, the water complex, the impressive fortified system and to the most fascinating views of the Judean Desert. Return to your Hotel.

Day 5After breakfast check out of your hotel and head north to the thinnest point in the state of Israel between the Palestinian Authority and Mediterranean Sea. Enter the Hefer Valley region and stop at the boarder viewing Tul Karem and the emergency purification station. Here we will see the state of the art system that purifies water entering Israel and we begin our journey. Traveling through the lush landscape we will have the opportunity to pic some of the fruit suited to the unique soil types and experience the thrill of working The Land. We take our pickings with back on board for a short drive. After a short drive we will stop at the beautiful visitors center at the northern reservoir where we receive a briefing from an expert in water related technologies. Following a short audio visual presentation we board the buses for a short drive to Park Italy and the Alexander River. We head into the field to see first hand the steps being taken to save the river. This on going project can be viewed yearly and followed to gauge progress and where together we will live the biblical promise where G-d promises the Jewish people that he will “ [bring them] into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills “ (Deut. 8:7). The results of river rehabilitation effects not only drinking water but the wildlife as well. At the Water Turtle Park we will be able to see turtles which until a short while ago were endangered and now have chance at survival. Visit Caesarea built by Herod the Great and once the seat of Roman rule. View the excavated Roman Theater, with its acoustic and theatrical sound, which was used for many performances throughout the centuries. A new audio-visual presentation brings to life the times of the Romans who controlled these shores 2,000 years ago. Today, it draws major venue attractions, for concerts and festivals. We will walk through the excavated fortress and view the aqueduct, once used for conveying water. Check in to your hotel.

Day 6After breakfast our first stop will be at the World Heritage Site of Acre. Acre is an exceptional historic walled port-city with continuous settlement from the Phoenician period. The present city is characteristic of a fortified town dating from the Ottoman 18th and 19th centuries. Acre preserves substantial remains of its medieval Crusader buildings beneath the existing Moslem fortified town dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. The remains of the Crusader town of Acre, both above and below the present-day street level, provide an exceptional picture of the layout and structures of the capital of the medieval Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. Present-day Acre is an important example of an Ottoman walled town, with typical urban components such as the citadel, mosques, khans, and baths well preserved, partly built on top of the underlying Crusader structures. Visit the Crusaders Halls and Al Jazar Mosque. We drive to Rosh Hanikra. The Rosh HaNikra grottos are cavernous tunnels formed by sea action on the soft chalk rock. The total length is some 200 meters. They branch off in various directions with some interconnecting segments. In the past, the only access to them was from the sea and experienced divers were the only ones capable of visiting. Today a cable car takes visitors down to see the grottos. Return to your hotel

Day 7After breakfast head to the northern regions of Israel and enter the Hula Valley Nature Reserve. We visit the wildlife heaven and can see local wildlife and depending on the season the migration of thousands of birds from a special camouflaged vehicle. Head to kibbutz Malikiye on the Lebanese border. A local guide will join the group to give an insiders view of life along this unique border. We will encounter the IDF soldiers and have an opportunity to share some goodies with them. Ascend into Safed. It is a rather small town located in Northern Israel, 900 meters (3200 feet) above sea level in the mountains of the Upper Galilee and the where the author of the Kabbalah lived. Visit the Kabbalah Center. Return to Haifa.

Day 8After breakfast check out of your hotel and view the Bahai Gardens located in the port city of Haifa. We will drive to Zichron Ya’akov, where we will visit what was the home of Aharon Aaronson and his sisters Sarah and Rebecca, leaders of the Jewish secret organization "Nili", which spied for Britain against the Ottoman Turks during the First World War. Predator Park (Plants and snakes) we with visit the park and take in some of the wildlife indigenous to Israel. Drive to Tel Aviv check in to your hotel